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Chapter 23. Handsome Guy Is Scary

"It's funny how a realist like you can manipulate the world of dreams..."

"The reality I believe in is based on what I actually see and experience. For me, dreams are just another form of reality that I've experienced."

I see... if you think about it that way, having magic that controls dreams makes sense.

"You really are amazing."

"Handsome jerk..."

"What was that?"

"Sorry, I meant, Jeremiah."

Already standing, Jeremiah spoke cheerfully. His handsome face, almost glowing, was a bit overwhelming, but I managed to compose myself and look him in the eye.

"How did you escape?"

"I'd like to know that myself. How are you so fast?"

"Haha... my family's training has made me familiar with trap magic."

Being an elite from a Duke family means preparing for all sorts of scenarios. Magic that traps people in dreams is rare, but other types of trap magic can knock you out. Nobles have to be wary of assassination, which makes me glad to be a commoner.

"As an ignorant commoner, could you explain something to me?"

"What’s with the sarcastic tone?"

"Is the midterm over? Is there no big battle between students?"

"Nope. It's just a regular midterm exam."

Is that so? I remember struggling a lot with midterms back in school, but midterms at Chronos Magic Knight Academy seemed easy.

"Are you talking about the end-of-year exams?"

"Do we fight each other then?"

"It's not a round-robin, but fighting is the easiest way to determine rankings."

"...I see."

So, the academy is like a muscle-brained organization. If the magic knights from this academy are all elite warriors, it must be a formidable group. They are supposed to protect the nation, right?

"With you waking up so quickly, the rankings will probably change again."

"Not really. That's why I teamed up with that girl."

Logically, if someone ranked 250th teams up with someone ranked 5th, and they escape a trap together, it will be assumed that the 250th-ranked person got help from the 5th rank one. It wasn't planned, but things turned out well.

"I like being ranked 250th. Not too much attention, not too little. No pressure to switch classes or be considered for a magic knight title. Being average is best."

"Is that so? But, I’d like to fight you right now."

"No way."

He says this every class. I understand that he values me, but fighting him would make me too conspicuous. Jeremiah would definitely spread the word if we fought. He's that type of cold, strategic person. On the other hand, if someone like Elissa, who’s kind-hearted, wanted to fight, I might consider it.

"Well, I feel we'll fight before graduation. Call it fate."

"Absolutely not."

Why is he making this sound romantic? I don't see Jeremiah as a rival. He's just a handsome guy ranked first with a good personality.

"Nice. I'd like to fight you too, Jeremiah Frisberg."

"You are...?"

"Nina? When did you..."

I thought Nina, who struggles with magic, would find this exam impossible. But with fewer than ten students awake, she broke the spell.

"You're wondering how, right? Magic can be countered with magical power. Even those bad at magic can release enough power to break a spell."

"I see."

Releasing magical power and using it as magic are different. If you can release enough power, you can pass this exam.

"Don't you think this exam is too harsh? It's a bit too extreme."

"No, I don't think so."

The teachers likely didn’t use their full power, so escaping with sufficient magical power shouldn't be hard. If you can't do that, you shouldn't aim to be a magic knight.

"Our faction leader is still sleeping, though."

"Well, Elixira is like that. She'll wake up soon. Nina knows she's not cut out to be a magic knight, but she’s a genius when it comes to magic."

"She's ranked 984th, right?"

"Yes. In pure magic, she might even surpass Jeremiah."

I don't know, but...

"If you say so, I'll keep an eye on her."

"Shouldn't you be a bit more skeptical? There's got to be something more to it."

"That's rude. I don’t believe everything blindly. I trust your words."

"Hey Theo, what did you do to him? He trusts you like you saved his life."

"Don't ask me!"

I want to know why! It's probably his natural sociability as a handsome guy with many friends. I don't get why he trusts me so much! I haven't saved any noble's life or anything!

"Haha... I'm just observing you as a fellow Magic Knight candidate. You’re my biggest rival."

Idiot, don't say weird things here. Now the 2nd rank student is glaring at us!